The road to creating and maintaining sustainable lifestyle changes; what has worked or not worked for you

Having worked with many people over the last 28 years who are trying to achieve optimum health through lifestyle change, I have found that creating realistic and sustainable goals to be the first step on a long road.

I have worked with many clients over the years who have all started with a health scare such as a heart attack, pre-diabetes, or chronic lung condition. The motivation after a health scare is intense and in some can be very short lived. It seems to me most people can at this stage make "promises" to themselves because they literally feel their life is at stake.

The farther from the imminent scare they get however, the risk of lapsing into old habits increases and can be very difficult to overcome.

I thought it would be helpful for those who have made some of these lifestyle changes sustainable and used various strategies to get there, to share their thoughts and experiences that might help others who are just starting what we'll call the " road toward sustainable change".

Just to clarify and give a few examples of what lifestyle changes may include. Lifestyle changes usually include health habits such as diet, exercise, or other habit that impacts on health. They can address mental, physical or even metaphysical factors such as stress or positive thinking or quality of sleep.

Please share your experiences as professionals or as non-professionals as we all have tips and ideas to share.

Remember there is a a lot of evidence in the literature that those that have some network of social support do better health wise. In this day and age of social media, these blogs can provide a level of "virtual social support". I would however also try to build social support by strengthening your family and friend network or participating in local support groups "in the flesh". I do believe that also having physical contact with others who share a common goal can be very motivating and helpful. Finding an exercise or diet "buddy" can also help keep us on the road toward sustaining healthy habits.

Thanks for sharing! I am also open to any one who has a question for me. I have been a wellness nurse since 1987 and worked in critical care for about 10 years prior to getting specialized in cardiology, cardiac & pulmonary rehabilitation and most recently in diabetes education. I have background in exercise physiology and can also provide guidance in starting and maintaining a safe exercise program. I am not a dietician but have some experience giving basic guidance on diet changes that are healthier.

PS I also have a pre-hypertension condition even though I am not overweight and do not have diabetes. I am on a medication called benazapril which is a class of medications called ACE inhibitors. I take it once daily and so far I have better control of my blood pressure.

Wellness wishes and healthy regards!
Wendy**